The Art of Choosing Joy
Written by CJ Ananda Page
As a coach, Ananda offers gentle empowerment, affirmation, and inspiration. CJ (Cynthia Joy) Ananda Page, named "Joy" by her mother Linda Page, shares with us the art of choosing joy.
"JOY is a state of Being. It resides within us from the moment we are born and stays with us until we die. It may not always be recognized or felt, but it's always present. It is not something we seek outside of us, but something we embrace and accept as a part of us. AND JOY is a state of Mind! Joy comes from accepting the present moment exactly as it is. On our path to health, happiness and wholeness, our work is in finding the perfection within EVERYTHING...even when the mind's desires and fears make it difficult to recognize the perfection.
Tapping into this requires a conscious state of mind, which is only found with practice and guidance. With patience, practice, and perseverance, we are able to consciously affect our mental state. We are able to use our mind to change our mind. We have the power to choose joy!
The key is...practice...practice...practice!
The following are ways in which we can consciously practice CHOOSING JOY:
1. When something doesn't go your way, practice finding gratitude and say 'thank you.'
2. When feeling anxious about the future, practice looking for joy along the way.
3. When our mind is spiraling into undesirable thought patterns, practice mindfulness, and use intention to return to the present moment.
4. When feeling overwhelmed, take small steps focused on what can be controlled now.
5. Feeling frustrated about a past experience? Look for lessons and potential growth.
Do these practices to feel happy and good, and never feel bad when you are not in a joyous place. When you notice that you are not in a state of joy, don't condemn yourself for not being joyful, but do practice the above to get back to joy as quickly as possible. This is what it means to choose joy."
Sometimes finding the space to create a practice can be supported with other beautiful tools. We have asked Nola Ganem, founder of One World Cacao, and source of our beautiful Mood + Energy Lifting Sipping Chocolate + Cacao Powder product to share about cacao as a joy enhancer - a tool to boost anandamide, "The word Anandamide orginates from the Sanskrit word 'Ananda' meaning 'bliss' and as far as my knowledge goes... cacao is the only superfood to naturally contain anandamide! Anandamide, is the master molecule of our hormonal system. When activated, anandamide releases a wave of hormones that bring feelings of euphoria, connection, bonding, love, joy, clarity and intimacy."
